Dongjiang City.
A girl sat on the living room sofa, playing a mobile game. Her expression was full of excitement, her small tiger teeth peeking out whenever she laughed. If Chen Mo were here, he'd immediately find her familiar. She and Xiao Yu looked about 90% alike—but their temperaments were different. Xiao Yu was gentle and soft-spoken, while this girl gave off a clever, quick-witted vibe.
"Xiaoman! Come look! Isn't that Xiao Yu?" A middle-aged woman watching TV nearby suddenly exclaimed in shock and excitement. She was Xiao Yu's mother, Wang Lan.
"Sis is back?" Xiaoman instantly dropped her phone and looked toward the door—only to find it empty.
"On TV!"
Xiaoman quickly turned her gaze to the television screen and saw Xiao Yu in a live news broadcast.
"That's her! She's shaking hands with the Head of State?" Wang Lan pointed, her voice filled with disbelief.
Seeing the news footage clearly, Xiaoman was stunned. "It really is her. She's working at Marching Ant Company."
"Xiao Yu looks like she's doing pretty well," Wang Lan said proudly, her face lighting up with satisfaction.
"Looks like she's making big money too." Xiaoman grinned mischievously. "Mom, check out that handsome guy standing next to the leader. That's her boyfriend."
A good little sister never misses a chance to rat out her big sister.
"What?! Xiao Yu has a boyfriend? Why didn't she say anything?" Wang Lan's voice instantly rose a few notches in pitch, her face full of surprise.
"Mom, c'mon. These days, people date freely. Xiao Yu isn't a kid anymore—having a boyfriend is totally normal." Xiaoman smirked to herself, anticipating the chaos she'd just kicked off.
"Who is that young man?" Wang Lan asked, now curious.
"He's the boss of Marching Ant Company. His name's Chen Mo. He and Sis went to the same university," Xiaoman explained. Since her mom didn't usually follow business news, she had to walk her through it slowly.
"Where's he from? Any siblings?" her mom asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Mom, just call Sis and ask her yourself. She knows best." Xiaoman got up, trying not to laugh.
"You're not messing with me, are you?" Wang Lan gave her daughter a skeptical look.
"Of course not. You can call her and tell her to bring him home for the New Year!" Xiaoman said cheerfully.
Wang Lan picked up the phone, but after considering that Xiao Yu might be busy with work, she decided to wait. "Your dad's getting back from the ship tonight. We'll call her together. He owns a company, right? Must be loaded."
"He's the wealthiest young entrepreneur in the whole country," Xiaoman replied with exaggerated reverence.
"Really?" Her mother lit up with delight, though a faint trace of worry flickered in her eyes.
Back at the Capital Earthquake Base Station, Xiao Yu had no idea she was being "sold out" by her little sister. She was sitting in the audience, her eyes proudly fixed on Chen Mo.
The moment Chen Mo and the Head of State pressed their hands on the starter sphere, all cameras turned toward the stage.
To the world, that image sent a powerful message.
With the press of that button, a new era of earthquake warnings officially began. It was a historic moment in humanity's long battle against the forces of nature.
The evolution of mankind had always been a struggle against disasters. Now that earthquakes could be predicted, it meant humanity had gained another edge in surviving and managing nature's fury.
The ceremony ended with a flurry of media reports.
Reporter Yan Fei took her microphone and cameraman straight toward Chen Mo.
Interviewing Chen Mo on such an important day was a rare opportunity—and her first chance at interviewing someone of such high status.
As she approached, she felt a twinge of nervousness.
"Hello, Mr. Chen Mo."
"Hello," Chen Mo greeted politely.
"What would you most like to say on this special day?" Yan Fei asked, expectant.
"It's a little cold," Chen Mo replied with a smile. "Honestly, I'd like to go back to bed and sleep."
Yan Fei froze for two seconds, clearly not expecting that answer—but quickly recovered. "Were there any interesting stories behind the invention of the seismograph? Could you share one?"
"Interesting? Well, when I submitted the earthquake early warning paper to Nature, they rejected it. Twice, actually. Pretty quick replies too—both rejections came within a day. So I posted it on our official website instead. In the end, reality proved the experts wrong."
Chen Mo smiled faintly. "So here's a word of advice to young researchers: Authority is not always correct."
"Einstein once said, 'Because of my contempt for authority, fate punished me by making me an authority.' You're definitely in that category now," Yan Fei replied. "Before the interview, a lot of viewers wanted to ask—what's the next product Marching Ant will launch?"
"The next product? I'm not sure which one will be successful," Chen Mo said. "But here's a bit of news—starting today, the seismograph is officially available for purchase. Any country interested can submit an order to our company."
That announcement caught Yan Fei completely off guard—but she quickly followed up with a nod of acknowledgment.
After the interview, Chen Mo returned to the hotel. With the launch ceremony now complete and all important meetings concluded, it was time to take a short break before returning to the company.
The news of China launching its Earthquake Early Warning Network spread across the globe. It was an epoch-making event—especially for countries frequently hit by earthquakes.
Previously, Marching Ant had cited limited output and refused to export the technology. Now, with exports open, it signaled the beginning of a global earthquake warning era.
"Marching Ant should disclose the full seismograph technology."
"We hope China will open-source this tech for the benefit of all mankind."
Similar opinions echoed across the internet—but they didn't generate much response from Marching Ant Company.
That night, in her hotel room, Xiao Yu's phone rang. She was surprised—why would her mom be calling this late?
"Mom? It's late—why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Your dad just got back," Wang Lan said. "We heard... you have a boyfriend?"
Sitting beside her was a middle-aged man with tanned skin and a serious face—Xiao Yu's father, He Zhenghua. When he returned and heard the news about his daughter's boyfriend, his mood soured a bit.
Xiaoman, sitting next to them, grinned from ear to ear.
"Mom, why are you asking me this all of a sudden?" Xiao Yu stole a glance at Chen Mo, who was reading beside her.
"You're not a little girl anymore," Wang Lan replied. "If you have a boyfriend, bring him home. Your father and I want to meet him."
"Alright, alright." Xiao Yu stuck out her tongue sheepishly.
"If he ever bullies you, come straight to me," her father suddenly said.
Hearing that, Xiaoman nearly burst out laughing. Watching her dad go into protective mode was too entertaining.
"He won't bully me," Xiao Yu replied with a chuckle.
"Don't forget—bring him back for New Year," Wang Lan added with a serious tone.
After hanging up, Xiao Yu hesitated before turning to Chen Mo.
"My mom just called."
Chen Mo looked up from his book. "And?"
"They found out I have a boyfriend… and Mom wants me to bring you home for the New Year. They want to meet you." She looked at him expectantly.
"Meeting the parents, huh?" Chen Mo smiled. "Sure."
"Really?" Xiao Yu's eyes lit up with joy.
"Of course. If I don't show up, won't your parents think I'm trying to scam them out of their daughter?" Chen Mo closed his book, then pulled her into his arms. "Let's see if we can bring two grandkids back instead."